Do you know a veteran?

I happen to have several vets in my own family, as I'm sure you do as well. I often find that I thank random strangers for their service to our country, (which I'm glad I do, because it really does mean a lot to me) but I don't seem to say it to my family. I should do that soon.

My patriotism has been heightened this week by the fact that I've been covering the Ft. Hood story. What a story it is, too. A gunman shoots and kills 13 people; dozens more are injured. Meantime, the suspected gunman, Major Hasan, a psychiatrist at Ft. Hood in Killeen where the shootings happened, is in stable condition at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.

Tuesday, President Obama led a memorial service outside of the III Corps building on the post. The clearance was pretty tight, and Secret Service members swept us for obvious reasons. Once I was in, there was no going back out. I checked in at 11 a.m., and left the secured area at 2 p.m.

While in the ceremonial grounds, I chatted with soldiers about their feelings about the day (for camera, interviewing them for my television story). One of the bigger things that struck me was the number of families present, with their loved ones - soldiers - on the very grounds where company's were assembling. Women and children gathered with their husbands and fathers. One soldier, Specialist Ryan Dickinson, told me he wanted his family near him. He said the victims could have been anyone, and that he was grateful he was still with his family. But he said there is no room for blame, and that it's time the post and its soldiers return to normal life.

Normal life is relative. Many stopped training to take time to remember their fallen comrades. They will be deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan shortly. The President told the crowd, "We know the killer will be met with justice in this world and the next."

Families of the victims walked past their loved ones boots, helmets and pictures. These are the faces behind the tragedy. To me, it may be a story. For them, this is life. It's real. "For those families who lost a loved one, no words can fill the void," Mr. Obama said.

In the end - and this is by far not the end of this story - I look back on the past few days of my life spent at Ft. Hood. I've been honored to cover the story, but nothing takes my breath away or puts the reality in my heart more than the 21 gun salute, and the traditional Army roll call in which the victims names are called out for a count of who is present, to which there is no response. I couldn't help but feel that emotional tug. Us reporters get a little removed from our stories because we cover this awful stuff all the time. We're desensitized. But no one can help feel a tug on a story like this.

From here, I go back to my wonderful life, and my wonderful job, telling stories of people... with my wife by my side and my little boy with his unforgettable smile...

But what about the families? Life will not be the same ever again. For that I am eternally sad, but I am also reminded of the men and women who go out and serve our country every day. I thank them for their wonderful, selfless service. I say thank you to them, as well as all the veterans who have gone before and bravely stood up for what they believe.

And to them I say, and soon to the veterans in my own family: "Thank you, thank you, thank you. What you do means an incredible amount to me, and hopefully to everyone else, too."